Less

“Endeavor to be inclined always:

Not to the easiest, but to the most difficult;
Not to the most delightful, but to the most distasteful;
Not to the most gratifying, but to the less pleasant;
Not to what means rest for you, but to hard work;
Not to the consoling, but to the unconsoling;
Not to the most, but to the least;
Not to the highest and most precious, but to the lowest and most despised;
Not to wanting something, but to wanting nothing;

Do not go about looking for the best of temporal things, but for the worst, and, for Christ, desire to enter into complete nakedness, emptiness, and poverty in everything in the world.”
― John of the Cross

 

Another day in the legal trenches, but at least I managed to get out first thing. 

Pay attention

I walk every day.

And I've been at it my whole life.

At some stage, ye old body will give up the ghost, and I'll have to contend with a more sedantry life; but I hope it doesn't come too soon.

Of course, some people like to be more active and do lots of "exercise". For me, I find walking more than enough and, in any event, it enables me to slow down my (sometimes) active mind and pay attention. I do, though, like to listen to an audiobook and I've got one on the go that I'm relistening to at the moment by John Butler.

I don't see many other walkers around the village -- save a few dog walkers and old folk; I think that's a sign of the times and it's been like this for quite some time. Perhaps in the end, I'll be remembered more for my walking exploits and my photographs than I will for anything else.

Blessings.

Monday

I've lost count of the number of times I've had to get ready for work, put my game face on and pretend that I was doing something worthwhile. Today, is no different. I want it to end; I've wanted it to end for a very long time, and, yet, here I am still at the coalface. You could say I'm lucky; I don't feel that way. If anything, I think this is my fate: to be strapped to an interminable wheel until the end of my days. Like so many times before, though, I will get through the day; I will survive, ready to face into the headwinds of another working week. PS. I leave one of my part-time jobs on 19 February 2026 and, as things stand, I've nothing lined up to replace it. That feels right and necessary, despite knowing that money will be "tight". I also feel a relaxation, knowing I'll have some time to travel and do some of the things I've been putting off all these years. 

It's been a while

 

I don't know why I ignore Blogger. It was the first blogging platform I ever used, and I really should pay it more attention. Perhaps 2026 will be the year.

Anyhow, I'm still here. I'm still doing my lawyer thing -- only just -- and I'm still at odds with the world that I find myself having to navigate.

Onwards.